Hardship Withdrawal

If a mental health, medical, or personal crisis prevented academic success during
a past semester or the Withdrawal Fail (WF) period of a current semester, students
may be interested in petitioning for a hardship withdrawal.

Announcements

Before submitting a petition, please review the criteria and process updates below. Students
will receive deadline information after applications are submitted.

About Hardship Withdrawals

Under the University’s withdrawal policy, if a student is experiencing a significant personal hardship that has prevented
academic success during a past semester or the Withdrawal Fail (WF) periodof a current academic term, the student may be eligible to withdraw from courses for the semester of concern.
Students are required to review all information on this page before submitting a petition.
Petitions are only accepted from students, and there is no appeal process for denied
or approved petitions.

As you consider submitting a petition, please note that the hardship withdrawal process
is not a means to:

Hardship Withdrawal Criteria

Before you submit a petition, please review the criteria below. If a student's circumstance
does not fall within the hardship withdrawal guidelines, they are encouraged to reach
out to their academic advisor, academic coach, or professor/instructor about degree progression and alternative grade options.

Unforeseeable, acute, severe illnesses or injuries that incapacitate the student

Chronic conditions generally do not qualify unless the student has been stable for
a sustained length of time and the condition is complicated by a sudden unexpected
change in status

Preventable health care conditions or failure to comply with medical advice may also
not qualify

Illness severe enough so as to warrant hospitalization and/or treatment and multiple
sessions of counseling, psychotherapy, or psychiatric consultations.

Supporting documentation is required to verify every statement of hardship listed
in online applications. As you consider submitting a petition, please evaluate whether you're
able to supply the following required documentation types.

Students may ask their healthcare providers to submit documentation on their behalf. Healthcare notes must be sent directly from providers.

Clinicians should provide a treatment summary letter, which must include the following:

Provider's name (if off-campus: state license #)

Diagnosis (including date of original diagnosis and/or time of symptom onset)

Type of service(s) provided

Specific dates of services

Medication (if applicable)

History of Presenting Problem including detailed information regarding symptoms during the semester of concern.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify providers of the expectation(s) for both
submitting their letter and the petition deadline, as committee members do not reach
out to providers. All documentation is subject to verification by the University of
South Carolina, including but not limited to class attendance, class participation,
or supporting documentation. If false documentation or misrepresented information
is submitted, students will be referred for alleged violation of the USC Honor Code
and the Hardship Withdrawal request will be denied.

Personal crises, which include:

Personal trauma

Death of a parent, child, sibling, or caregiver

Caregiver for ill parent*

New diagnosis of documented learning disability

Natural disaster recovery

Extreme, acute financial hardship (i.e. loss of job)

*Documentation from parent's physician must indicate the necessity for their care
of their parent.

Supporting documentation is required to verify every statement of hardship listed
in online applications. As you consider submitting a petition, pleaseevaluatewhether you're able to supply the following required documentation types.

Verification that the student communicated with professors to discuss optionsbeforepetition.

Legal paperwork (e.g. police report, attorney, etc.)

Death certificate or obituary notice from newspaper or from funeral home. Ceremony
programs

Letters from employers, rental agents, or other business/university officials on letterhead

All documentation is subject to verification by the University of South Carolina,
including but not limited to class attendance, class participation, or supporting
documentation. If false documentation or misrepresented information is submitted,
students will be referred for alleged violation of the USC Honor Code and the Hardship
Withdrawal request will be denied.

Things to Consider Before You Submit a Petition

Approved petitions may have financial aid or tuition and fee implications, including
Satisfactory Academic Progress issues that may impact registration ability. The student submitting a petition agrees
to contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to inquire about how an approved
Hardship Withdrawal Petition may affect their current and future financial aid before they submit a petition.

The hardship withdrawal process only affects academic grades. Therefore, if a petition
is approved, there is no automatic refund or pardon of fees. To request a refund,
a student must submit a request and a petition to the Tuition Refund Appeal Committee
at regapeal@mailbox.sc.edu. Refund requests must occur within the same academic year of the withdrawn semester. For
more information on important payment and refund dates, visit the website for the
Bursar's office.

Before you submit a petition, we encourage you to consult with your academic advisor
about degree progression and readmission requirements, which may differ per major.
At times, students are not able to progress in their chosen major as they wait for
a petition decision.

In accordance with the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972
and University policy, if sexual misconduct information is included in a student’s
petition, the Office of the Dean of Students and/or the Hardship Withdrawal Committee
is obligated to report the matter to USC’s Title IX coordinator.

Semester withdrawals may affect immigration status. Before submitting a petition,
contact International Student Services at 803-777-7461.

A student must re-apply for admission to the University if there is no record of enrollment (e.g. a course grade, "W", etc.) for a major semester
(Fall or Spring) directly preceding the semester the student would like to return. For example, if a student's transcript shows they were not enrolled for courses
during the Fall 2018 semester and they would like to take courses in Spring 2019,
they must reapply. Readmission is not automatic and is based on the student's academic
record. Students must meet major and/or transfer requirements to be readmitted. For
additional information, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 803-777-7700.

The Petition Process

Step 1: Submit the Online Application

Students requesting a hardship withdrawal are required to first submit the online
application. After submission, students will be contacted by a representative of the
Hardship Withdrawal Committee regarding whether the petition will receive further
consideration and/or next steps. Please do not send supporting documentation until
you receive this notification.

Step 2: Provide Supporting Documentation

For petitions that will be considered, students will submit supporting documentation
aligned with the hardship withdrawal criteria and documentation guidelines listed
above under the "Hardship Withdrawal" section. If additional information is needed
from a student, they will be contacted by withdrawal staff from the Office of the
Dean of Students.

Information requested does not guarantee petition approval.

Students will be notified by USC email when petitions are ready for committee review
and regarding decision deadlines.

Step 3: Receive Petition Decision(s)

Students will receive petition decisions by USC email.

If a hardship withdrawal is approved, W’s will appear as placeholders for the withdrawn
courses on the student’s transcript. W’s do not affect a student’s GPA, but students
are encouraged to speak with their academic advisor about degree progression before
they submit a petition.

Hardship withdrawal staff may communicate with other campus entities about a student's
total educational record, as well as consider the student's withdrawal history.

Decisions are within the following categories:

Student's petition was approved. Please allow up to seven days for transcript updates.
The Office of the Dean of Students or Hardship Withdrawal Committee will determine
the date of withdrawal.

Student's petition was not approved. Decisions are final, and there is no appeal process
for petitions.

A decision could not be made with current petition materials. The student is given
a deadline to submit requested additional information.

Types of Hardship Withdrawals & Online Application

Before you submit a petition, please review the types of withdrawals and the risks
associated with each decision.

A full hardship withdrawal is defined as withdrawing from all courses for the semester
of concern. Submit a petition for full withdrawal here.

A partial withdrawal is defined as withdrawing from one or more classes, but not all
classes.They are granted under exceptional circumstances. Academic difficulty of your selected
course(s) will not be considered. Examples of academic difficulty include, but are
not limited to: frequency of assignments, class attendance requirements, not meeting deadlines, etc.

To qualify, you must demonstrate how your hardship is affecting only the class(es)
you are petitioning. (For example: you took yoga, broke your collarbone mid-semester,
and need to withdraw from that one course).

Students are highly encouraged to exhaust the following options before submitting
a partial request: